Final Workshop Day and the Long Trip Home
It is said that all good things must come to an end. The Southwest Photo Caravan Workshop was definitely a good thing. We spent the last day in Springdale, visiting a ghost town in the morning and then getting together that afternoon for the group slideshow. It had been a great week and although the national parks were all closed, that didn't deter us from having a great time and capturing some wonderful images and memories to take home.
Our first stop for the day, and the last stop of the trip, was Grafton, Utah, a ghost town located just south of Zion. Grafton is said to be the most photographed ghost town in the west and has starred in a few movies. The town was first settled in 1859 and quickly grew to a whopping 28 families by 1864. Grafton was primarily a farming settlement, but life was difficult due to flooding and excessive siltation of irrigation channels from the Virgin River. The town faced many challenges, being evacuated in 1866 for fear of attacks during the Black Hawk War and continued severe flooding. The last residents left Grafton in 1944. All that remains at the site is the Grafton school, a house, one small cabin, and the cemetery.
Grafton School
Reflections of Yesteryear
Wooden Grave Marker
Before departing Grafton, we took a group photo, which is customary for Rick's photography workshops. We had a great group with people from all over the US and even one from Canada.
Group photo by Rick Sammon
After spending one more night in Springdale, it was back on the road again for the long drive home. I decided to go south, crossing into Arizona, then back up through Page and Monument Valley. There wasn't a lot of time for stopping and shooting, but I did manage to get a few images along the way. Certainly not enough to do Monument Valley justice, but I'm looking forward to a return trip there for later this fall Gary, Bob, John, and Phil, whom I met on the workshop.
Window to the World (somewhere in Arizona)
Glen Canyon Dam, Page, Arizona
Monument Valley
Southern Colorado and Kansas was mostly a blur. I stopped for a few hour's sleep at a rest area in eastern Colorado before the final leg of the trip home.
Out with the Old, In with the New
Back in Kansas